Birthday Haul ♡ ft. Guerlain, Hourglass, NARS & More...

Monday, December 1, 2014

I blow out twenty something candles last week and I spoiled myself rotten hehe, today I want to share with you my birthday haul and what I did to celebrate my birthday. I have always kept my birthday date a secret, for privacy reasons; so no one really knows when my birthday is and no one celebrates it with me, except for my parents.

So I first celebrated my birthday in a restaurant called Latitude 36, it was like a hotel-restaurant kind of thing and we had this three course meal deal that we purchased from Grabone. The food were really nice, it wasn't expensive with the Grabone deal and the customer service was good too.

Then the following night I had dinner at Hansan, it's a Vietnamese restaurant and it wasn't fancy like the night before; but guess what?! I much prefer this than anything else! I LOVE rice noodles soups and rice noodles everything! It reminds me of home. ^^

NOW ONTO THE EXCITING PART

Smith & Caughey's had a sale in-store last week and of course their sales never applies to beauty items. =.= Lucky I visited the store anyway, cause most of the stuff I wanted wasn't available online and Guerlain was giving out gift bags worth over $200 if you spend over $80 or something. Guerlain is already very expensive, so it wasn't that hard to score yaself a gift bag. ^^

I purchased a few Guerlain items that has been on my wishlist for a long time and I was glad to finally cross off these items from my wishlist, *ahh that feeling you get when you cross-off something you've been drooling over for a long long time*.

GUERLAIN Meteorites Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer

This product is described as a smoothing liquid makeup base for an ethereal complexion. It's not like I need another primer as I already have plenty Korean ones that came with my Memebox beauty boxes, but I just had to have it, especially after seeing it in person. The outside packaging is so elegant and beautiful and the inside, the pearls are just so pretty!

GUERLAIN Gloss d'Enfer - L'Oiseau de Feu #901

I think this lip gloss is from the Christmas Color Collection 2014 and it is a limited edition product (please correct me if I am wrong). I was so SO glad I picked up the last one in-store! You guys know how crazy I am with LE products! L'Oiseau de Feu #901 is described as a sheer top coat for the lips, heightened with gold pearl particles, can be used on its own or over a lipstick to create an ultra-sparkling shine.

Guerlain Meteorites Pearls - Clair

GUERLAIN Meteorites Pearls - Clair

This product is described as a illuminating powder made up of light-diffusing pearls that minimize flaws and add brightness to the skin. I actually got this one online a few days before I did my purchase in-store, I couldn't wait any longer, knowing that this isn't a limited edition product so it isn't going any where haha. #NoRegrets!

I have came across so many pictures of the Meteorites Pearls on Instagram, it's like almost every makeup obsessives owns one and that's when I decided I need this in my life! I also wanted the LE one (Perles d'Etoile?!) that was released not long ago and I remember saving it to my cart on the Smith & Caughey's site that morning and I was deciding if I really need it as it's very expensive... and then that night I went in-store and they all gone.. G O N E wahhh :( so sad ~

GUERLAIN Meteorites Brush

I have only just started to get into Guerlain makeup, so I am not that familiar with the brand. I purchased a meteorites brush on a Facebook destashes group not long ago and that left me wondering if it's the real thing?! I think it's one of the old version with a black handle and the bristle is a bit rough when I swirl it on my face. I have read loads of review on the one I have recently purchase, a lot of people were saying it's so rough etc... but when I felt the bristle in person, it's very soft, so I am really confused lol!

HOURGLASS Veil Mineral PrimerI have previously tried a 10ml size of this primer and I have been loving it so much I had to get the bigger size so it doesn't run out as fast! The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is SO amazing! Hourglass claims it helps to minimize the appearance of large pores and fine lines, and preps skin for makeup application while extending its durability. On days I have paired this primer with NARS Sheer Glow foundation, my makeup literally lasted all day through a very hot day.

NARS Algorithm Laguna Palette

NARS Algorithm Laguna PaletteCan we all just take a moment to appreciate this beautiful packaging! This wasn't even on my wishlist or anything, I just got it because the NARS Virtual Domination Palette wasn't in stock at Mecca. I have previously owned and reviewed the NARS Laguna / Orgasm mini duo and I later on sold it in a makeup group cause I just find the palette too small for me to dip my bronzer brush into Laguna. the Algorithm Laguna Palette is perfect, it's bigger than I have expected and in it comes with a mini Ita brush.

MAYBELLINE Baby Lips / NIVEA Tinted Lip BalmI was so surprised to find the American version of the Maybelline Baby Lips in the Warehouse, didn't even know these things exist in New Zealand! I purchased all three electro pop from the warehouse, they were like under five dollars each, I already owned the pink and the orange but it doesn't hurt having too many lip balms, right...?I also got me a Nivea tinted lip balm, the peach one.

JIMMY CHOO Exotic Eau de Toilette SprayThis is a new limited edition flanker of the Jimmy Choo original fragrance from 2011 (source: fragrantica). I don't own any other Jimmy Choo perfume prior to Exotic, I was just wondering around in Farmers one day when I came across this perfume, sprayed it once on my wrist and it stayed on for two whole days!! It has a fruity / flora scent and it is very long lasting. Every time I go to Farmers, I always made sure to check out Jimmy Choo Exotic, sadly Farmers does not carry this anymore!

MARC JACOBS Fragrance - Daisy Rollerball TrioMarc Jacobs is one of those brands that I have always saved to my top designer list on sites like Saks Fifth Avenue / Net-a-Porter for easy access when I do my online shoppings, I love Marc Jacobs' style, I especially love the handbags and I can't get enough of their wallets. I don't own any Marc Jacobs perfume prior to this perfume set, so I was super excited when I got the daisy rollerball trio. Hmmm... quite disappointed to say I am not a fan of any of the Marc Jacobs perfume :( they smell so cheap... is it just me?!

ANNA SUI Lip Color PaletteFinally ~ No more drooling over this lip palette on Beauty Bay! I have made the best decision to get this lip palette, the colors are all very pigmented and high quality, the packaging is very elegant and the lip colors has this nice rosey scent. Can't wait to show you guys some swatches!

URBAN DECAY Vice 3 Eyeshadow PaletteI am NEVER EVER EVERRR shopping from Beauty Bay again! I have told myself this before but I just couldn't resist a good sale lol, this time it's a NO for me! I may have to think triple twice (lol is that even a word?) before I place an order with them again.Every single time I have purchased from Beauty Bay, they either send me an expire foundation, wrong eyeshadow in a custom palette or shattered eye shadow palette, grrr I really have enough this time!!! Their customer service is okay, I mean they replied to all of my messages within the time frame they've set in their automatic replies but this time I really had enough :( ... I was so looking forward to Vice 3, but the eye shadows came shattered, it was very messy, even after I cleaned up it's still messy. Messaged Beauty Bay and they only offered 25% refund of the product... WHAT?! 25% ONLY?! This option or I have to send it back... *sigh* *take a deep breath* That's it, me and BB are over for real this time! I end up selling the UD Vice 3 Palette for $20 cheaper than what I have purchased... Anyway, have you tried any of the products mentioned in my birthday haul? Any new products you guys recommend? I love trying out new things!

28 comments

Fist of all belated birthday wishes to you.. looks like you had a great time! and my god you really went overboard with that haul.. it is my birthday tomorrow and girl you have got me inspired to splurge! :D :D

Belated happy birthday KAY!!! I love the look of your two dinners! I'm always up for a bowl of rice noodles! I'm drooling over your two primers! The guerlain one is just stunning in the bottle! I'm sorry to hear about your beauty bay experience! I've only ever ordered a hair styling tool from them and it was fine! I too like private celebrations of my birthday, not one who throw lavish large parties :p

Happy belated birthday, that food looks amazing and I'm totally jealous of all the guerlain makeup! Why didn't you send it back to beauty bay to claim your refund or get another one? Not that you should have to as it's appalling that it turned up like this, just not sure why you sold it for less than what you paid when you could have sent it back and got a full refund?